Piercing Scarlet REDONE
by Easter-TASTIC
Summary: Her strength has increased by more that half of what it used to be... but what if training just isn't enough? Now Sakura seems to have a secret admirer. With his piercing scarlet eyes, will he be able to win her heart? ItaSaku SasuSaku
1. The Unshed Tears Behind These Heavy Lids

I'm back and I'm rewriting Piercing Scarlet! I'm taking a new approach on the characters. Hope you like it!

**Piercing Scarlet**

Act One

_The Unshed Tears Behind These Heavy Lids_

Sakura Haruno glanced at the green plastic digital clock on her night stand. _3 : 48. _"Damn," she mumbled, her voice muffled by a pillow. Her emerald eyes retreated behind her pale lids. They remained closed for what seemed like eternity, but when she read the clock again the time read _3 : 49._ Time was her enemy. It was always her enemy. When Sakura rushed to training early in the morning after fighting a battle against the monster that once was her hair, when her mother wanted her home, the time the markets closed and especially when they left. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. It wasn't sped up like it had been in the days of the academy, or even before the Chunin exams. Sasuke left first. Then Naruto. How long could she possibly stay here? If they left, shouldn't she de destined to leave too?

A small sigh fell off her soft lips. She tossed around in her bed. Sleep wasn't coming. It hadn't given her satisfaction for what seemed like forever. She was always tired during training, but when the time came, sleep wouldn't be given to her. Her legs swung over the side of her bed. If she couldn't sleep, then she'd go for a walk. Possibly sort out her thoughts in the cool summer night.

Sakura softly shut the door behind her. The night air was refreshing as it whipped against her skin. The moonlight lit her path, inviting her to walk, but she didn't. Not yet. She didn't want to move. Just embrace her surroundings. Her skin seemed to glow in the soft lighting. She would've thought she looked beautiful, if she had even thought of herself as pretty. No, not Sakura. She'd given up on that. She gave up on that ever since there was no more reason to look pretty. Every since her reason for wanting to dab a bit of make up on here and there was gone. She hadn't let herself go around looking like a mess, but she didn't try the way she used to. There was no point. The man she wanted was still alive, but no longer around. Sakura remembered when she used to prepare herself after her left, hoping he'd come back. She hoped he'd come back to see her at her best and then apologize for leaving her, but hope was only hope. It proved that no matter how much she hoped and wished, Sasuke wasn't coming back.

What was troubling her so much, that it kept rest from her? Was it the endless training she put herself through to get stronger? Or was it the fact she tried so hard to deny that she still loved Sasuke? Her eyes widened as that last thought bubbled to the surface.

"No..."

Her voice was frail as if it were about to be broken.

"No... My love's with him, but he's gone..."

It trembled like china in an earthquake. Then, as if something snapped, tears began to burst from her eyes and her sobs sounded of hopeless despair. Why did he torture her heart. She was once so carefree and happy once, but that was back when she was clueless about the real world. Her head began to spin from the overload of emotion. She leaned against her front door for support. Everything felt so heavy now. She put effort in holding her arms up, shielding her face from the stars and her legs couldn't support her body any more. Sakura sat there on the cool dirt below her. Her arms fell to the sides as her lids dropped.

'Finally...'

She thought.

'Finally I get some rest.'

A dark cloaked figure appeared in front of her. It knelt down to her level. A pale hand reached to wipe away her tears. Piercing scarlet eyes shown from the darkness of it''s face.

"Remember me..."

The voice was deep. It was definitely a male. As fast as he had come, he was gone. The wind whispered his same words.


	2. Just For You

Well not much to say about this one... Enjoy Act Two.

**Piercing Scarlet**

Act Two

_Just For You  
_

The sun was on the horizon as Sakura was awoken by the paper boy. The boy was short with a crop of shaggy yellow hair. It sort of reminded her of the famous Naruto Uzumaki. She greeted him a couple of times before, but she never stopped to examine the innocent blue eyes of the callused fists who fought their way for attention. She just knew him as 'the everyday paper boy' not an individual person with a name. Now she thought of him as a second Naruto.

"Thank You. I don't know what I would've done if I caught a cold. What's your name?"

Her voice was sincere and a smile danced across her lips, but in all reality she just wanted his name so she could stop thinking of him as Naruto. It was painful. The boy smiled a sheepish grin, a few baby teeth missing from his used to be perfect set.

"I'm --"

His name wasn't audible to Sakura. Confusion struck her body.

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that..."

"My names ..."

He paused for a second then bent down and whispered his name into her ear. Her next heartbeat would be a painful one and it'd echo through her hollowed out chest.

'Naruto Uzumaki...'

His body faded with the wind. Sakura's hands trembled in shock. That couldn't be right. She reached to get up, but the door frame had turned into two snakes. Sakura flinched and scurried away like a mouse. Every since she met Orochimaru she a growing fear of snakes.

"Don't be afraid..."

One of the snakes hissed. Why? Why did it speak with that same voice that he did?

"Sasuke...?"

Her voice was once again frail. She had no idea how to react, but before she could the snake lunged towards her. Sakura threw her arms up in defense. It was the best she could do. She couldn't attack Sasuke. Her heart wouldn't let her, no matter how hard she tried.

Then the scenery broke apart like shattered glass and only Sakura was spared to float in an oblivion of nothingness. She pulled her legs close to her and buried her face in her arms. Why was this happening? Laughter tinkled in her ears. She looked up. Unexplainably she was sitting by a tree, gazing at a girl, pink hair and emerald eyes. She was short, just like the paper boy. A younger Sakura.

"Hey Sakura, Isn't spring time beautiful?"

A male voice called out from beside. She jumped and looked beside her. A boy, a few years older than her younger self sat against the tree, looking up as Sakura. His face was blurred, but she saw dark hair pulled back into a pony tail. She didn't recognize him, but her younger self did. The young girl turned to face the scenery. Sakura noticed the nice little field of flowers, glowing in the spring sunshine. The tress were lush and the bird chirped within the air.

"You know Haruno means the Spring Of or Bloom. It fits you so well."

She couldn't see it, but she could tell by the tone in his voice was sincere and he wore a smile. The younger Sakura twirled around in the flowers.

"I know! That's why it's my favorite season!"

"Spring should be everyday, just for you."

That line struck Sakura hard. She had a moment of De Ja Vu. Could this moment had happened before? Why didn't she remember. Why did she remember that phrase? The younger Sakura continued to twirl.

"Beautiful..."

The boy whispered.

"It's all so dull compared to her..."

Sakura was shocked by his words. She wasn't beautiful, not even when she tried. Ino was beautiful. Sakura was just another girl trying to get by in life, looking forward to nothing. Her life seemed so blank now.

The world around her fast forwarded and the sun began to set. Her eyes were only fast enough to follow a few things. Within a few seconds, the crickets were chirping in place of the bird and the sky became darker, illuminated by the stars. The small pink girl had fallen asleep on the boy's lap. He ran his fingers through her silky hair.

"Don't forget me..."

His words were a whisper, like the wind. Then Sakura's world began to shake. What was happening now? He turned to face her. His face cleared out. He smiled towards her and mouthed the words 'I Love You'. Sakura sat frozen.

"Sasuke?"

Her eyes fluttered open, as she stared at the paper boy. She realized now. He didn't have blond hair, it wasn't blond. It just simply wasn't. The description she had dreamt up earlier was completely in accurate. The boy had brown hair and he was tall for his age.

"Here's todays paper."

He handed her the paper and walked off. What a dream that was.


End file.
